10 of the Worst Parenting Tips Ever

We all need to pay our way, but not with credit cards. And we certainly don't advocate that your child charge his way through the college years.

Even when your kid heads off to seek a higher education, he's still, well, a kid. He may be old enough to drive, vote and join the military, but chances are he's not mature enough to charge his expenses for the next four (or more) years at college. Open lines of credit are almost never a good idea for college students, and no matter what his major is, it probably won't help him handle the mountain of debt he'd accumulate while earning his degree.

Scholarships and student loans are a great way to pick up the expenses you're not able to cover, and if money is still tight, he could always attend a local university and (gasp) continue to live with you until he graduates and finds a job. It's a scary prospect, we know, but it's not nearly as frightening as your baby still paying off his college credit card debt when he has babies of his own.